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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to ask about your real vs online shopping habits

57 replies

manicinsomniac · 15/01/2013 12:12

and if you feel guilty about them?

I seriously can't remember the last time I went into an actual high street shop and bought something.

I go to a massive Sainsburys or Tesco Extra once a week and buy all the food and most of the other stuff I need there.
I buy all our books, music and DVDs from Amazon or Ebay
I buy all our clothes and toys from ebay or store websites
I buy all applicances etc online

My contribution to the life of high streets over the past 5 or 6 years must be practically non existent. The one exception is that I buy the odd item from my village general store.

I feel really bad about it now the shops all seem to be closing. But online and massive 24/7 shops just seem like the only way of managing nowadays.

OP posts:

Sugarice · 15/01/2013 12:19

I buy Groceries online at Sainsburys.
Books/DVD's online at Amazon.
Boys clothes are bought from the H+M in town.

My health supplements I buy from our local Health shop rather than Holland and Barrett.
Most of my clothes I buy from the independent shops in our town.

Nancy66 · 15/01/2013 12:20

I hardly ever buy online - deliberately.

I feel really sad about what's happening to our high streets and am prepared to pay more to shop locally.

Where i live it is now pretty much wall to wall estate agents and coffee shops with very few small, independent shops.

I'm sure that by the time my 3 year old daughter is adult the local high street will be a thing of the past and it will be like it is in America where everyone has to get in their cars and drive to big towns and malls.

soontobeburns · 15/01/2013 12:21

I buy clothes in newlook.
90% of anything else online.

Callisto · 15/01/2013 12:22

I buy loads online and no, I don't feel guilty. If HMV had kept up with the times they wouldn't have gone bankrupt.

ColaConkie · 15/01/2013 12:23

The only things I buy on the high street is clothes. Everything else is online

Tee2072 · 15/01/2013 12:23

I buy major groceries online as I don't have a car so can't carry much.

But I shop on my high street at least once a week for everything else, including my local butcher and green grocer.

HighJinx · 15/01/2013 12:23

I do wonder if the reports about Amazon paying about a fiver in tax has an impact on this too though.

How can a high street store, paying top rents and tax on any profit possibly compete with that?

Callisto · 15/01/2013 12:24

And my nearest town has a thriving high street with lots of independant retailers, and I do shop with them.

BornToFolk · 15/01/2013 12:25

I buy very little on the high street. Even if I get something from a high street shop, I'll buy online so I can use money off codes (and Quidco, if applicable) and get it delivered to store/work.

I only really buy on the high street during sales or if I need to try something on (but even then, I'll try it on, then order online, unless I need it urgently)

I do make a point of using indepedent cafes, mostly because the food/drink is better but also because it would be a real shame if they went and we were left with Starbucks/Costa etc.

I can't remember the last time I bought something in HMV...

EuroShagmore · 15/01/2013 12:25

I buy food shopping in person in Sainbos or Waitrose
I order most electronic goods online
Most of my book purchases are now ebooks
I still buy CDs but mostly from Amazon because the selection at HMV (my last local music shop) had dwindled to next to nothing
I buy DVDs from HMV (or did, until recently)
I buy lunches and snacks on the High Street
I buy most clothes in shops but might order sportwear or other specialist clothing online. I've always found buying clothes and shoes online a disappointment and sending stuff back can be such a faff as the post office nearest where I work closed a year or so ago.

BacardiNCoke · 15/01/2013 12:26

I'd say I'm a good mix of buying online and on the high street. Books I always buy from amazon, refuse to pay for music anymore. Clothes I'll buy mostly on the high st as I need to see what I'm buying really, food I buy in Asda/Tesco. Electrical and furniture is bought online.

Francagoestohollywood · 15/01/2013 12:26

I buy roughly 30% online and 70% in the shops. I live in Milan and we have nice shops, good markets where it is lovely to shop.

I buy books/some toys and dvds from Amazon.
And clothes for the children when there is a good deal on the internet.

MissyMooandherBeaverofSteel · 15/01/2013 12:27

Everything is bought online apart from clothes (although I actually buy loads from everything5pounds so thats not strictly true either) I do love mooching about the shops but its not so easy with 4 kids in tow.

bluebiscuit · 15/01/2013 12:27

I shop online and at big stores. I cannot stand going to a high street and not being able to park and/or not finding the product in stock that I have come for. I also agree about the poor service provided by some stores that have recently gone bust. When I was a child, Jessops was a posh shop that had everything you needed. Of late, they had hidden tills so nobody knew where to queue, lots of stuff out of stock, they lost a VHS of mine that I wanted converted to DVD and some of the staff were not knowledgeable at all about the products. It all adds up to losing custom and then going bust.

bluebiscuit · 15/01/2013 12:29

Oh and I recently went to HMV to get a popular box set. They didn't have it. I got it from Amazon. Not surprised they went bust.

AngryTrees · 15/01/2013 12:29

I don't buy clothes online that often. I usually go into charity shops for myself as it's amazing how many nice brands get put out for low prices- a great condition White Stuff skirt for £4, for example.

Books I usually buy for my kindle, or from Oxfam bookshop. I can't afford to spend £8 (at least) on a book from Waterstones. It's extortionate there.

I go to Tesco for a lot of my shopping and to the local asian supermarket for massive bags of rice/chilis/spices and so on.

There are some good independent butchers that I go to because meat is stupidly expensive in the large supermarkets.

I don't really go to many high street shops, really. I'm too used to looking up things online and finding out that it's cheaper to buy from the internet. Amazon, ebay and so on.

bedmonster · 15/01/2013 12:32

I shop mainly on the high street as I live on the outskirts of a great city but did a fair bit online at Christmas for convenience.

Callisto · 15/01/2013 12:33

Bacardi - how come you refuse to pay for music?

thereonthestair · 15/01/2013 12:33

I buy very little online. I live in a city and it is so much easier to just pop to the shop than deal with delivery. I boycott amazon but so still buy some books from bookpeople, some dvd from other sites and ocassionally specialist stuff online (think special needs equipment, odd bits of kitchen stuff) but even then i would much prefer to arrange it by phone again due to delivery issues.

I buy food weekly from a market, and farmers market and do 2 online shops a month for bulky stuff. Am I really that unusual?

JamNan · 15/01/2013 12:34

Extortionate parking fees and overenthusiastic traffic wardens keep me out of our local town centre. Last time I shopped there (several months ago) the parking ticket was £72 for being 30 seconds late! It costs a fiver on the bus too. I shop locally in charity shops for clothes, books and fabric. I do occasionally buy food in local village stores but it's very expensive so it limits how much I buy and it's not always good quality. I do a big Tesco about every two weeks buying seasonal food UK grown food and grow our own veg in summer. I buy a lot on eBay but not Amazon as they don't contribute to UK tax.

Original poster

manicinsomniac · 15/01/2013 12:34

good point about christy shops. I did used to use those regularly during school holidays but, in the past year or so, I've stopped doing that in favour of ebay. Which is even worse because not only am I no longer supporting independent retailers but I'm not supporting charities!

I feel like I should change my habits but can't imagine finding the time. I only shop at night!

OP posts:

dexter73 · 15/01/2013 12:34

I buy most things online. It is so much easier and usually cheaper. The shops in my town have very little choice in them and tbh I very rarely shopped there before the internet anyway, and would go into the city.

Original poster

manicinsomniac · 15/01/2013 12:35

charity not christy!

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MarshaBrady · 15/01/2013 12:35

I go to lovely shops, eg Liberty because it is a nice building and environment. It would a shame if it couldn't survive. For other clothes it's online sites like NaP, the outnet and Matches.

I used to go in Borders but use online images now instead of buying loads of fashion magazines.

I use Ocado every week and top up in Sainsbury's. And the local independent butchers and deli is great.

All the dc's clothes online too.

Original poster

manicinsomniac · 15/01/2013 12:36

thereonthestair - I don't know if you're unusual but I couldn't even tell you which day is market day in my three nearest towns.

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